A traveling war memorial honoring fallen U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilian war casualties is in Sacramento Wednesday and Thursday.

The exhibit is titled Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War and during an opening ceremony at Trinity Cathedral Tuesday names of the deceased were read. "From the state of California, Corporal Jose Angel Garabe."

The display includes thousands of empty combat boots and shoes representing the dead. Chas Rosatas says it’s an emotional sight. "I think as soon as I hit the door I started crying, looked at my wife and she was crying. I have a distant cousin who got killed in the war. Her name was Rachel Blasfeld."

One pair of boots used to belong to Lieutenant Ken Ballard who was killed in Iraq last May. Ballard’s mother Karen Meredith says she hopes the memorial touches people no matter what their opinion of the war is."These are my son’s boots. I found them in his belongings when they were returned to me. So while I think it’s important that his boots are here, a piece of my heart will be going with this project."

The exhibit will be at Capitol Park at 13th and N Streets from 10 AM to 6 PM Wednesday and Thursday. It’s presented by a Quaker group called The American Friends Service Committee. From Sacramento the display travels to Eugene, Oregon.